Episode 105: Ray Mathoda on Her Journey as a Lesbian Sikh American

Dr. Moon interviews Ray Mathoda on her experience of immigrating from India and coming out in the 90's after meeting her wife at a high school reunion, and how cultural expectations to have an arranged marriage impacted her view of love and attraction. She also shares about her complicated and painful relationship with her parents over the last couple of decades, the grief of giving up her dreams of returning to India, and her passion for advocating for the LGBTQ community. 

Ray (she/her/hers) is a lesbian Sikh American CEO who lives in LA with her wife and two sets of twins.  Ray grew up in India, where she was a national level swimmer and debater before she came to the US to learn about capitalism. She earned an M.B.A. from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University and a Bachelor of Arts from Princeton University.

Ray currently serves as CEO of Anchor Loans, one of the nation’s leading single family real estate finance companies; Board Director for Mosaic, a leader in the US clean energy finance space; and Board Chairperson for Desi Rainbow Parents & Allies, a national non-profit serving parents and families of LGBTQ South Asians with culturally sensitive support and spaces.

A transformational leader and social entrepreneur, Ray's 25+ year career spans the housing, healthcare, and non-profit sectors.  She previously served as CEO of Xome, co-CEO of Genesis Capital (sold to Goldman Sachs in 2018) and President of Hudson & Marshall (sold to Fidelity National Financial in 2017).  She has served on the Boards of the LA LGBT Center, the Housing Authority of the City of LA, and Planned Parenthood LA.

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This episode was sponsored by Inclusive Therapists, a simpler, safer way for BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and marginalized folks to find culturally-responsive, identity-affirming mental health care. You can find them at inclusivetherapists.com or @inclusivetherapists.